Hand Me the Mike #01: What is it about Michael Shannon?
Werner Herzog once called Shannon, “arguably the most important [actor] of his generation.”
What is it about Michael Shannon?
In the introductory episode of Hand Me the Mike, host Daniella Mazzio walks through the actor's career and explores what makes him so compelling as a performer.
The podcast should be available on Apple Podcasts, Boomplay, Pocketcasts, Podchaser, and Spotify within the next 24 hours.
You can also listen to the episode directly through Pinecast here:
On the next episode of Hand Me the Mike, Daniella will be joined by Chicago-based entertainment journalist, critic, and Michael Shannon super-fan Isaac Feldberg to discuss the 2011 film Take Shelter.
This is a completely free, DIY project; support is optional, but greatly appreciated.
Follow Daniella on Twitter and Instagram at @DaniellaMazzio and on Bluesky at @daniellamazzio.bsky.social.
The Hand Me the Mike theme song samples R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming."
Additional music includes Hallelujah the Hills' very generous public domain track "01 Untitled, Actual Title (Joker 1)" from the album DECK: JOKERS. Check out the band's playing card-inspired releases at: https://hallelujahthehills.bandcamp.com/.
Additional audio snippets from They Came Together, Groundhog Day, Pearl Harbor, Revolutionary Road, and Michael Shannon's Criterion Closet video.
This episode of Hand Me the Mike was produced by Joe Engleman and Daniella Mazzio, and edited by Daniella Mazzio.
Reviews, profiles, and interviews featured in the episode:
The Blue Hour City Sketches/The Vermont Sketches/Sexual Perversity in Chicago by Mary Shen Barnidge (Chicago Reader, December 1992): https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/the-blue-hour-city-sketches-the-vermont-sketches-sexual-perversity-in-chicago/
Chi Lives: Michael Shannon’s creep shows by Susan DuGrane (Chicago Reader, August 2001): https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/chi-lives-michael-shannons-creep-shows/
Bug Review by Hedy Weiss (Chicago Sun-Times, August 2001) was found through newspaper archives.
Without a net by Roger Ebert (Originally published by Chicago Sun-Times, May 2007): https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bug-2007
Killer Instincts by David Edelstein (NY Mag, December 2008): https://web.archive.org/web/20090111212546/http://nymag.com/movies/profiles/53156/
Michael Shannon by Scott Tobias (AV Club, December 2009): https://www.avclub.com/michael-shannon-1798218507
The super summer of Michael Shannon by Christopher Borrelli (Chicago Tribune, June 2013): https://web.archive.org/web/20210305082527/https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2013-06-28-ct-ae-0630-michael-shannon-20130628-story.html
Outside Looking In: Michael Shannon by Tom Jenkins (Port Magazine, November 2013): https://www.port-magazine.com/film/outside-looking-in-michael-shannon/
So Michael Shannon Walks into a Diner … by Tom Chiarella (Chicago Magazine, September 2015): https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/october-2015/michael-shannon/
Stage Role Call: Michael Shannon on the theater parts that shaped his career by Joe McGovern (Entertainment Weekly, April 2016): https://ew.com/article/2016/04/29/michael-shannon-role-call/
Michael Shannon Won’t Tone It Down by Eric Sullivan (Esquire, October 2017): https://www.esquire.com/style/big-black-book/a12189188/michael-shannon-big-black-book/
Further Reading that Supported this Episode:
Capitalism Kills by Anthony Adler (Chicago Reader, May 1991): https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/capitalism-kills/Perfectly Puzzling by Nick Green (Chicago Reader, February 1998): https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/perfectly-puzzling/
Michael Shannon by Paul Rudd (Interview Magazine, January 2013): https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/michael-shannon
Michael Shannon: “There’s no reward other than knowledge” by Patrick Heidman (The Talks, February 2021): https://the-talks.com/interview/michael-shannon/
For Michael Shannon, Waiting for Godot Is the Ultimate Opportunity by Jake Nevins (Interview Magazine, November 2023): https://www.interviewmagazine.com/theater/for-michael-shannon-waiting-for-godot-is-the-ultimate-opportunity
Michael Shannon is trying to cultivate detachment by Rachel Martin (NPR Wild Card, January 2025): https://www.npr.org/2025/01/26/g-s1-44759/wild-card-michael-shannon
Michael Shannon by Mike Thomas (Chicago Magazine, March 2025): https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/march-2025/stop-giving-michael-shannon-your-perplexed-looks/